An All-American Dessert Drink

If you think the best things about America are mom and hot apple pie, you may want to add to that list. The latest trend in mixed drinks is a hot little number with a name as wholesome as, well, hot apple pie.

Made with a warming blend of hot apple cider, apple schnapps, whipped cream, cinnamon and a cherry on top, the hot apple pie drink got its name because, “believe it or not,” says one restaurant hostess, “it sort of tastes like apple pie. It’s very dessert-y.”

“It gives you a warm, cozy feeling,” says one chic young woman. “It sort of warms you from your toes up. I prefer it over other hot drinks because it doesn’t have caffeine in it.”

For some, the drink represents a guilty pleasure, without all the guilt. “This is nice in place of a rich desert,” claims one restaurant hopper. “You feel as if you’re having a rich desert, but you’re not getting as many calories as in, say, a piece of cheesecake. Also, you gain the benefit of the cider, which is good for you.”

But, for others, the heart-warming drink is sloshed down for as many sentimental memories as its name suggests. “It reminds me of when mom would make hot apple cider after I’d come in from playing on a cold day,” says a young Sherman Oaks executive.